Introducing puppy to a pack.

[jacko 1]

Got a new beddy/ whippet pup, 7 weeks old. Introducing it to my terriers, bit by bit, but 1 of them is being a real pest; he's a 6 year old border. We sent all the dogs out and just left the border and the pup in with us, he was licking the pups face but looks very jittery and tense. I didn't think for a minute, that an adult dog would be dodgy with such a young pup. At the moment, we've got them seperated by a mesh panel in the living room; so they can see and smell each other. To be honest, they're mostly ingnoring each other, it's just when they get let in together. I've never had a problem introducing a terrier pup, but this is a lurcher pup and it's the same size as the terriers now and it's bounding round the room like Bamby. Any tips would be very much appreciated...

 

Thank you, Jack.

[GET THEM OUT (.)(.) 39]

Got a new beddy/ whippet pup, 7 weeks old. Introducing it to my terriers, bit by bit, but 1 of them is being a real pest; he's a 6 year old border. We sent all the dogs out and just left the border and the pup in with us, he was licking the pups face but looks very jittery and tense. I didn't think for a minute, that an adult dog would be dodgy with such a young pup. At the moment, we've got them seperated by a mesh panel in the living room; so they can see and smell each other. To be honest, they're mostly ingnoring each other, it's just when they get let in together. I've never had a problem introducing a terrier pup, but this is a lurcher pup and it's the same size as the terriers now and it's bounding round the room like Bamby. Any tips would be very much appreciated...

 

Thank you, Jack.

 

just the usal, keep a very close on them, , when togther it could only take one bite to really hurt the pup or worse, if the older dog tells the pup of that is ok in my books but there is a fine line, its all about knowing your dogs, , always stress to stroke the older dog before the pup, always feed the older dog before the pup, e,t,c,

good luck and enjoy,

[jacko 1]

Hi, thanks for the replies , they are all in together now, all inside , terriers bark at him if he gets a bit hypo but they are not hurting him at all , hes a handfull though , hes bouncing off the walls at the minute , we just make sure theres someone in with them to supervise. jacko.

[Hannah4181 260]

It takes a seriously aggressive dog to attack and badly hurt a puppy of that age. I always let puppies straight in with my 3 adult dogs from day 1, they learn very quickly that they are the bottom of the pecking order, and if they get a couple of nips and tellings off along the way then so be it. Its how they learn to be a dog. The same with feeding, mine are all fed together, inevitabley puppies want what every other dog has, but by trying to take it and getting a wearning, and if it tries again then maybe a telling off, they learn to eat what they get givern quickly and without hasseling the older dogs.

 

As has been mentioned its about knowing your dogs, if the border you mention is particulary sharp then just keep an eye on it, however i firmly believe the most socialble and steady dogs, come from puppies that have been thrown in at the deep end and left to get on with it.

 

A big mistake often made is to have the pup up higher than the older dogs, e.g on a sofa/lap . . . this gives the pup a false perspective of dominance, leave it on the floor and let it learn.

 

Normally after a couple of days the pup will have worked out who and who not to mess with, the growlings and tellings off is the dogs way of communicating and teaching the pup boundaries and manners. Often the noise is much worse than the action, and remember most puppies will scream and wail when told off!

 

Getting the pup out and about with the big dogs once jabbed is also vital, the older dogs will be in hunt mode and the puppy will learn a lot from them, there is also more space and more distractions to keep the older dogs busy, they won't give a dam about the little idiot swiping at their necks!

[jacko 1]

Hi, that just about covers everything hannah , i should have asked the question a few days before i picked the pup up , it would have made the last few days a bit easier, the dogs are teaching the pup some manners now and the narky border is nice and steady with him . jacko.